After a successful Halloween experiment a few years ago, this trifle dessert is often requested by family and friends. I don’t blame them, it’s got everything you want in one bite: crunchy Oreos, pumpkin, cream cheese, chocolate cake, AND whipped cream!
Whether you’re in charge of dessert for a potluck, or want to have something sweet ready at home for the weekend, this recipe checks all the boxes. My favourite part about the Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake Trifle is that most of these ingredients can be stored either in your pantry or freezer; you can make this dessert anytime you want.
A quick note about storing this dessert: I made a batch recently, and since it’s just me and James at home these days I decided to freeze each layer separately (chocolate cake, pumpkin cheesecake mixture, Cool Whip). When we wanted some, it was easy to thaw and assemble. We added fresh Oreo crumbles for that crunchy texture.
Recipe: Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake Trifle
Time: 1.5-2 hours (including prep, baking and assembling)
Serves: 6 big glasses, 8-10 smaller glasses, 1 big trifle dish
What you’ll need:
- 1 chocolate cake mix (box + ingredients it needs)
- 1 1/2 cups cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 cups Cool Whip
- 1 pack of Oreos, crushed
- 6-10 Oreos for decoration
- Chocolate syrup
Directions:
- Preheat your oven and follow directions on the box to make a chocolate cake; once it is made and cooled, cut it into small, bite-sized pieces
- While the cake is in the oven, make the pumpkin cheesecake mixture; beat together cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until it’s smooth
- Mix in the pumpkin puree, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger
- TIP! It should give a hint of pumpkin spice; you can play around with the spices to get your desired flavour
- Add 2 cups of Cool Whip and mix until it is all smooth; keep it cool in the fridge until you’re read to assemble your trifle
- Assembly time! Start with a layer of chocolate cake on the bottom of your glass/trifle dish, top it with the pumpkin mixture, then a layer of crushed Oreos, then a layer of Cool Whip; keep repeating until your glass or dish is full (chocolate cake, pumpkin mixture, Oreos, Cool Whip)
- Drizzle chocolate syrup on top, and add an Oreo for decoration (or half an Oreo like I did)
- This trifle is best served after being refrigerated for a couple of hours, or overnight; you want it to be creamy, nicely blended and chilled
So easy, right?! Try it yourself, and be sure to share your creation with me @anumrubec or #BakingwithAnum.
